Man Killed In Pearl River Trailer Fire

PEARL RIVER, La. - WDSU .com

State fire marshals investigated a trailer fire in Pearl River that killed a man on Wednesday.

The fire broke out inside a trailer in the 65000 block of Hayes Street in Pearl River, near the intersection of Highway 41 and Boyet Street, at about 1 a.m. Investigators said James Hammons, 30, was found dead in a 18-foot camper trailer.

"I turned around and, whoosh, the camper was up in flames," said witness Irvin Lloyd.

The woman that owns the property told officers that Hammons is her son, according to Pearl River Police Chief Bennie Raynor.

"Everybody loved him," said Ed Colgan, Hammons' uncle. "He got along with everybody. He has a 4-year-old son, a girlfriend in Nicholson, Miss. It's just going to be real tragic on them."

Donald Carter, of the State Fire Marshal's Office, said investigators and K-9 units sifted through the debris in the trailer looking for traces of accelerants, but nothing was found.

"It's accidental," Colgan said. "He went to sleep in there. They think he might have brought some kind of a light source in there, a candle or something, and just caught fire."

Carter said the fire serves as an important reminder of the need for smoke detectors.

"If you don't have a smoke detector, go right now and get one," Carter said. "And if you do have one, check your batteries (to) make sure it's operable. It could save your life."

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